Safety razor blade honer



Nov. 13, 1934. F. E. HoUsH 1,980,407

SAFETY RAZOR BLADE HONER Filed Aug. 29. 1952 INVENroR ATTORN EYS Patented Nov. 13, 1934 l UNITED STATES APATENTl OFFICE The object of the inventionis'toprovideha hone forsafety razor-blades and the likewhich `Will make possible'the more or less automatic honing or sharpening of the blade in that the invention is designed -t'o receive the blade and thereafter to be vibrated-by the operator without the exercise of' careorattention on -his part; to provide a hone consisting of separable elements which may'be separated and the honing operation carried out by the use of the ngers when desired by moving the blade being operated upon back and forth acrossthe hone; Aand generally to provide a device of the kind indicated which is of simple form vand susceptible of cheapmanufacture. y y l., 3

With this object in view, the invention consists "inf a construction and combination of parts of 'which-fapreferred embodimentl is illustrated in the accompanying drawing but to -which embodimentthe-invention is not to be restricted. Continued use in practice may dictate certain changes or alterations and the right is claimed 'tdmake any which fall within the scope of the vannexed claims. v

In the drawing: f

Figure'l is aperspective View of a deviceconstructed accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 isla sectional view onthev plane indicatedvbytheline 2-2 of Figure 3. f

Figure 3 is a centraly horizontal sectionalview of the structure shown inFigu're'l. y

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the'planeindi- -cated bythe line 4 4 of Figure 3. f l f Figure 5 is a sectionalfview'similar to'Figure 2 but showing a modified form of the invention in which the honing surfaces are duplicated.

'Figure-6 isv a viewl similar to Figure 2ybut of still another n'iodiiioation':y y Y j r Figure V'l is a perspective view of one lof the elements or sections'of still another modied form ofthe invention.

Figure 8 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of the invention constructed in accordance with the form illustrated in Figure 7 but showing the two sections connected.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the plane indicated bythe line 9-9 of Figure 8. p

The linvention comprises a construction wherein concavehonling surfaces are disposed infaci'ng relation, so that the blade may be placed between the two and the device voscillated or Ashaken by `hand to move the'bladeV back' and forth over the surfaces, whereby sharpening of the edges is effected, since the blade will lie with onlyv its edges in .contact 'With'the honing vsurfaces andmay In the use'of the device, y through thevr opening or slot 15 after shifting the 'fere with the effective honing, since the vpeak pornot be turned over with -resp'e'ct to the surfaces because the two surfaces jointlyv define a space Cross-sectionally oval, the minor axis of the oval Ybeing shorter than the widthof the conventional razor blade and the major axis .-being greater "6@ 'than the width'of siichfa' blade. 'In `that form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the honing surfaces are formed in blocks l0 of "abrasive or polishing material, these blocks 'entrance openingv k15 in the form of a slot through 75 which a blade, such as indicated at 16,` may be readily. passed. The slot or entrance opening 15 is removably closed with agate l'ypivo-tally 'mounted on the end wall of the casing 11 as indicated at`18, the pivot holding the gate 17 close 80 enoughto the wall of the'casing to prevent free pivotal movement, so that the 'gate is swung from its open toits closed position and vice versa against the friction interposed by the contact of the gate with the casing. S5

the blade is inserted gate 17 from obstructing position with reference to the slot, and thereaftenthe gate is closed and the'blade `l6`is enclosed by the device, when the casing may be movedy back and forth in the hand and inverted periodically, the blade, during these movements,'sliding back and forth over the concave facesi of the .blocksl and by reason of its edges alone" contacting with theseconcave faces, .95 the edge is given a fine degree of keenness.

' To provide fo-r the sharpening or honing' opera- 'tion being performed mainly at the centers of the blocks 10, the concave surfaces of the two blocks longitudinally are arranged on converging lines 100 toward the longitudinal center of the blocks, thus leaving a peak or ridged portion lQat'th'e horizontal center. By this arrangement, if the blade be not perfectly fiat, as is frequently the case, any slight deviation from atness will not inte-r- .1.'05

tion 19 willA at some time or other engage every point on the edge of the blade as it is moved back and forth by the oscillation of the container.

In the construction shown in Figure 5, the same lilo `65 anda blade is disposed on the honing surfaces by `plates 29 may be of any suitable material.

idea is carried into effect as in Figures 1 to 4, but the casing 11a in this instance is of a greater depth than the casing 11, so that it may house three. blocks, such as indicated at 10iL and 10b, the latter block being disposed between the two former and being concave' on opposite faces, so that it has one concave face facing the concave face of each of the others. The blocks 102L and 10b are spaced through the instrumentality'of the `ribs 14a, in the saine manner as the blocks 10 are-spaced. This construction provides for sharpening more than one blade at a time, as the compartments 'Vpr`o` vided by the spaced adjacent blocks are eacl11,

adapted to receive a blade. Thus when the device is inthe multiple form sho-wn in Figure 5, ablade may be sharpened in each compartment dened by the honing surfaces, by oscillating the device as a whole in the same manner as described with reference to the construction, shown. in Figure 1. f'

In the inodication shown in Figure 6, the construction is suchasto make possible the honing yof ycross-sectionally arcuate blades, such as shownv `at ,-20. In order .that the edges of` the lblade 20 v mayengagea honing surface onthe concave side,

across-sectionally arcuate-plate 21 is employed toj'be used in confunction with a second .cross- I sectionally arcuate plate 22. Both theplates 21 and, 22 areof amaterialto effectivelyproduce va @keen edge on the blade beingoperated'upon and they are supported in spaced relation in the casing 23,having `an access opening .toV the space between them, such access opening being formed Vin the end of the caseinI the `same manner as ,described with reference to Figure 1. the plate members 2'1 and 22 in the desired` spaced To support relation, their sideedges are seated in rabbetsz24 formed in the interior yfacevof the side walls of the radius than the radius of .the-blade 20, while the plate-22is formed on a less radius than that-lof the-blade 20. Thus, whether the blade contacts with the outer surface of the plate 21 or the inner V.surface of the `plate 2,2, its side edges willbe brought gintofcontact with the same and they .will

Y`be Vhoned and sharpened,` asV the :case 23y ismoved jbackand forth. .l y

That vrform ofthe invention .illustrated in Figures 7-to 9 contemplates the use. of a-casef26 which consists of the complemental sections 42.6a and 26b y. which 4are identical in form and which :may be coupled together by means. of. pin and socket: connections, the pins 2'7 `on one'section entering the v,sockets 28 von the other.

.casing is vibrated or shaken by the hand. An

access slot and a-closure gate are unnecessary in this form since the casing sections yare separate,

separating the sections andlplacing the blade in the one and .reconnecting the sections. The If they are abrasive, a bead is formed across them at their longitudinal centers, as shown at 31 vand functions as the real honing medium,y as `the blade must move over this bead in being shifted fromone end of the casing to the other. l If the 4plates v29 `be metallic,as they may be,

The plate 2-1 is formed to a greater the element 43'1 may be a hardened steel strip laid into close contact with the concave surfaces at the center. This strip may be roughened at its edges so that as the blade is moved back and forth it functions to reduce the edges of the blade to a condition of fine keenness.

The plates 29 in length are less than twice the length of the blades to be sharpened, so that the blade being operated upon may have one end abutting theV endwall of Athe-jcase without the other end passing off the bead or strip 31.

" In 'the' form of the invention sho-wn in Figure 7,

the two sections 26a and 26b may be separated and either or both used as a hone for sharpen- -ing blades by moving them back and forth with theiingers.` VThe two sections may be used simultaneously under the two hands of the operator land 'with ltwo :different blades.

By separating the honing surfaces, as shown, it""`is"i`mpo'ssible for theedge of the blade being fshanpenedfto be brought edge on against either 'faceg when it is moving-in al-position adjacent the.. side wall of the casing, vor if. the case ybe turnedover laterally, asin suchinstancesit will vstrike the soft material .of the ,case andfnot'rthe 3100 hard sur-face of the, iopposite'fhoning telement.

iI-'he-invention having been described, what. is claimed as newlanduseful is: f .l

1. Asafety razor blade jhoner y.comprising .con- `cave honing members `disposed with their lcon-IIB ca ve `surfaces in `spaced v relation Aand defining -a cross-sectionallypoval space of which theminor axisvis .less thanA the width fof theconventional -safety `razor blade and the major Yaxis .is greater than the width o-f such blade, and a housingenm0 closing the .honing ,members and .formed with an opening to admit lazrazor-:blade betweenfythem to -be rubbed. against f suchvsurfaces` whenthefdevice asawholeisoscillated.:V 1. 1 y. .Y f

A 2, A safetyrazor blade honerzcomprisingy-con-m cavehoning members disposed withtheir oon- :cave surfaces inyspaced relation and'dening 1a -cross-sectionally oval Vspace of whichr .thefminor axis is less than the width of `the-conventiomal safety razor blade and the major faxisr isjgreaterymo .thanlthewidth .ofsuch blade,ahousingienclosing the .honing ymembers and for-med with. an opening tofadmit :a razor bladebetween'themito be .rubbed against such surfaces when the device fasqafwhole .is oscillated, and spacers fof .Anon-abrasivA mate- ,W5 rial separating .thehoning-members. yat theirflongitudineledses..

3. A safety razor -fblade.honercomprisingrconcavehoningrmembersfdisposed-with .theiriconcave surfaces in :spaced relation and ,dening a brosssectionallyfoval space of which fthe minor axis fis lessH than ithe iwidth of the rconventional @safety razor blade and the majorfaxis is greater than .the width -'of such blade, fa v`housing enclosing the honing :members Aand Aformed with van opening tof v-cavehoning membersdisposed with their concave Vsurfaces in spaced relation :and deningalcross- .sectionallyloval space of which theminoraxisgis less than `the widthfof the conventional lsafety ra- .,zor blade .and `the major. axis, is; greater than the widthof such-blade,sand a housing enclosing the )honing membersgand formed )with v.an .opening ,to :31M

admit a razor blade between them to be rubbed against such surfaces when the device as a whole is oscillated, the opposite honing surfaces being arranged on converging lines to provide peak portions at their longitudinal centers.

5. A safety razor blade honer comprising an element provided with facing concave honing surfaces dening a space of cross-sectionally oval contour of which the minor axis is less than the width of a conventional safety razor blade and the major axis greater than the width of such blade, whereby a blade may be inserted between the honing surfaces and moved over them for sharpening by the oscillation of said element.

6. A safety razor blade honing device comprising an element formed with spaced facing concave honing surfaces arranged on converging lines to form peaks at their longitudinal centers, said honing surfaces defining the top and bottom walls of a cross-sectionally oval-shaped chamber for the reception of a safety razor blade to be engaged by said surfaces and wiped over them by the oscillation of said element, the lminor axis of said oval-shaped chamber being less than the width of a conventional safety razor blade and the major axis of said chamber being greater than the width of such blade.

7. A safety razor blade honer comprising a casing composed of complementalsections and means for securing the same in assembled relation, concave plates disposed one in each of the sections and having a transversely arranged bead on its concave face at its longitudinal center, said plates jointly defining the top and bottom walls of a cross-sectionally oval-shaped chamber whose minor axis is less than the width of a conventional safety razor blade and Whose major axis is greater than the width of said blade, the length of said plates being less than twice the length of a conventional safety razor blade.

FRANK E. HoUsH.

' lao 

